Lesson Plan
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The Physical Environment

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders use damp sand, a baking pan, and water to simulate erosion. In this erosion lesson plan, 4th graders participate in a simulation to show what moving water does to land.
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The Carbon Cycle

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine the carbon cycle, periodic table, and photosynthesis and respiration. They analyze the periodic table and how it is organized, then complete the "Elementary, Dear Watson" worksheet. Students then examine a carbon...
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Space Program Spin-Offs

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students brainstorm types of accommodations needed for space travel. They create a table of categories for these accommodations and work in groups to research the categories. Each group puts together a five minute presentation to present...
Lesson Plan
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Micro- To Macro- Environmental Air Quality Risk Survey

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars research the importance of air quality. In groups, students explore factors leading to poor air quality and methods of minimizing air pollution. Given a diagram of concentric circles, young scholars survey their personal...
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Microbes and Climate

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners examine how microbes play a role in the climate system.  In this climate lesson students complete an activity, create a PowerPoint presentation and present it to the class. 
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Mercury

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers study the planet Mercury and develop an understanding of the planet's composition, geology, and other important characteristics. They explore a Web resource on the planet Mercury which is the central focus of this lesson.
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Air and Water in the Environment

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Young scholars demonstrate an awareness of air as a substance that surrounds us and takes up space, and whose movement we feel as wind. They predict and describe how local weather conditions affect living things, including themselves.
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Rocks and Their Properties: Day 5

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars demonstrate their knowledge of rock formation processes in varied ways by sharing their cooperative research projects with the class. They generate well-framed questions in response to each presentation.
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Exploring the Moon

For Teachers 1st
First graders complete an experiment illustrating why the moon appears to change over time using a flashlight and ball. Students discuss the shape of the moon and identify it as a sphere. Students write a short informational piece after...
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Clouds

For Teachers K - 4th
Students recognize the three main types of clouds. In this clouds lesson, students create a cloud mobile to understand clouds.
Lesson Plan
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Rainforest

For Teachers K - 1st
Students examine how important the rainforest and its resources are for our everyday survival in the future.
Lesson Plan
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Daily and Seasonal Cycles

For Teachers 1st
First graders identify the sun as a source of heat and light. They identify features of houses that help keep use sheltered and comfortable throughout daily and seasonal cycles. Students are told that summer is the best season to...
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Exploring the Night Sky: Summer

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
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Seasonal Cloud Cover Variations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, in groups, access data from the NASA website Live Access Server regarding seasonal cloud coverage and the type of clouds that make up the coverage. They graph the data and make correlations between types, seasons and percentages.
Lesson Plan
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Retrograde Motion

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners study the motions of the heavenly bodies.  In this space lesson students use models to show a variety of schemes explaining the motions. 
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Flowers and Plants

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students are assigned to bring five flowers. They explore flowers to distinguish different physical features of flowers. They compare and contrast different flowers to determine what features they have in common. Students develop an...
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The Physics of the Planets: How 16th and 17th Century Physicist Helped Us Understand Our Solar System

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders draw the paths of the planets in the solar system. In this astronomy lesson, 8th graders calculate speed of objects using distance and time information. They research about the work of scientists in the 16th and 17th century.
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The Effects of Weather on People

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Students discover the causes of different types of weather and it's effect on society.  In this environmental lesson, students utilize the Internet to examine cloud types, normal weather conditions and the type of weather considered...
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Air Is All Around Us!

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students design an instrument to show that air is all around. In this air lesson plan, students research, construct, and present a design that proves that air is all around, even though they can't see it or touch it. A teacher and self...
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Clouds

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore clouds.  In this weather lesson plan, students identify the steps in the water cycle, define condensation and evaporation, and relate this information to cloud formation.  Students perform a cloud experiment,...
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Sunspots

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars examine what a sunspot is and how it is produced.  In this sun lesson students locate and measure sunspots then view them through a camera.
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Moons Of The Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the solar system and its moons. They conduct research in groups to find information. Also the teacher uses models of the planets in order to teach different facts about the solar system through the use of...
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Cloudy With a Chance of...

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders will write a story. In this writing and meteorology lesson, 2nd graders read the story Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, then use KidPix to create a weather picture. The picture is imported into a word processor and the...
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Making Cladograms

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers construct cladograms (evolutionary trees), showing how shared derived characters can be used to reveal degrees of relationship. They interpret and analyze cladograms, and determine where unclassified vertebrates would fit...